I nod slightly, not trusting my voice. To be honest, I’m not sure how much longer I can endure this. Apparently I’m not red-carpet material. My eyes hurt from the flashes, and I’ve stuttered through most of the questions, unable to form clear sentences. Tyler is a star, though. He’s charming and says all the right things, dodging the private questions, clearly used to this kind of event. It doesn’t show that he doesn’t like to attend these functions. I’ll have to ask him whether he can recommend a book or some type of media coaching; if I want to pursue a competition career in riding, I’ll have to deal with media at some point.
I only relax when we step inside the actual event venue, a hotel located directly at the harbor. Ty takes my hand in his and strokes it reassuringly as we head toward a group of people. The men are all tall and look broad in their suits, and I think I recognize some of the faces from the game.
“You’re about to meet my teammates,” Tyler confirms my suspicion. “Don’t worry, most of them are harmless. They can be nosey though, and some have already asked lots of questions about you.”
“What have you told them?” I ask, as we haven’t discussed this yet. It’s unbelievable how many things you have to think of when entering a fake relationship. Makes the real deal look like a piece of cake.
“Not much. I kept it pretty vague. I wanted them to meet you in person first.”
Oh boy. There’s no getting out of this now, so I put on what I hope is a confident smile and stay as close to Ty as possible.
“Wolfe, come over and show us your mystery woman,” a big guy with dark blond hair shouts, motioning us over.
“Who’s that?” I ask as we approach the group of people standing in the entrance hall. I browsed the team's homepage in preparation for this evening, but they all look different in their hockey gear and their helmets on. Crap, why don’t they have photos in suits on the website?
“The big guy is Julian Smith. We call him Smithy. We’re on the same line. He’s a great guy. Can be a bit intimidating but has a heart of gold.” He squeezes my hand briefly as we reach the group.
“Good evening, everyone.” Ty greets his teammates with fist bumps and man hugs.
Smithy introduces me to his fiancée, Wioletta, who looks like a swimsuit model but has a genuine smile. I can see why Ty likes the guy, and I immediately start to feel more comfortable. They seem pretty normal to me and welcome me with warm smiles and friendly hugs.
“I get why you hid her.” Smithy slaps Ty on his shoulder, and I feel my cheeks warming. Luckily more people are waiting to make their introduction, and I don’t have to say much.
Next in the row is a giant Swedish guy who introduces himself as Peter Larsson. He seems shy and quiet and doesn’t know whether to look me in the eyes or not. It’s good to see that I’m not the only one out of my comfort zone this evening. Unlike Smithy, he doesn’t have a woman at his side.
The last guy, Michael Carlyle, seems somewhat full of himself. Granted, he sports a handsome face with a boyish smile, but he’s way too cocky for my liking and openly peruses me from head to toe. So far, he’s my least favorite Ice Tiger. He’s precisely the kind of man I’ve been trying to avoid since high school.
I’m glad I’m saved again by a familiar voice coming from behind before having to say more than “Nice to meet you” to him.
“If it isn’t my favorite employee,” Ryan says, approaching us with his wife, Carly, on his arm.
“Hey, Ryan, good to see you.” Tyler welcomes my boss with a big smile.
“Good to see you too, Wolfe, especially now that you have a special connection with my greatest talent.”
“You’ve never called me that before.” I wink at Ryan, and he winks right back.
“Shh… we don’t want anyone to hear that.” He puts a finger over his lips, and everybody laughs.
Once we’ve finished the process of introducing everyone, it’s time to find our table as the speeches are about to begin. We’re not seated with Ryan and Carly, but share a table with Smithy and Wioletta.
“Wow, you must be an excellent rider to work for Ryan Turner,” Wioletta says as she takes the seat next to me.
“I’m still in the learning process, but I’m beyond grateful to have Ryan as a mentor. It’s great to work for him.” I never know how to reply to people complimenting me, and my cheeks heat up again.
“Are you only riding his horses, or are you taking on horses from other owners too?”
“At the moment, I’m only riding his younger horses, but the plan is to take on others as well. You seem to know a lot about horse training. Are you a rider too?”
She nods. “It’s only a hobby, but I love it. I’m asking because I have a mare that I think is quite talented. I don’t want to compete with her, but I still want her trained in the right way, and I’m not happy with my current trainer. Do you give riding lessons as well?”
“Yes, I’ve given lessons, but mostly to beginners. I certainly could have a look at your mare and ask for Ryan’s opinion as well. What’s her name?” I feel Tyler’s gaze upon me as we speak. I hope he’s okay with this—it’s another thing we haven’t been able to discuss and need to add to the list. This fake relationship thing is a tricky business.
“Her name is Fortuna, and it would be awesome if we could make that happen. How would we do that and when?” She claps her hands together.
I lower my voice as the light dims for the first speaker. “I can take a look at her, or even better, you could bring her to Ryan’s training center. If you don’t have a horse trailer, we could pick her up and take her there.”
She leans over, whispering in my ear. “I can bring her. When do you have time?”
“The day after tomorrow in the afternoon?”
“Perfect.”
Just as she leans back, Tyler bends over and whispers in my ear. “Seems like you have your first client.” He’s obviously okay with me talking business with his acquaintances. I’m excited, but now is not the time to think about a new horse. I smile at him and shift my attention to the stage.
* * *
“That wasn’t too bad,” Tyler says, opening the apartment door and motioning me inside. He’s right, the evening went better than expected. Still, it’s been a lot to take in, and I’m bone-tired.
Danny is on us the moment Tyler closes the door. “Hockey tabloids are blowing up again. Look at this. The two of you have been named the league’s new power couple. Check out this headline: ‘Equestrian Shooting Star Snatches Hockey Hottie.’”
I look at the tablet he holds out in front of me. There are various articles about Tyler and me on hockey sites and celebrity blogs. They’ve found out my age, where I was born, and where I work. How do they do that in mere hours? I don’t have social media accounts where you can quickly look up that kind of information.
“How did they find out all these things about me?”
“We told them your name on the red carpet. They have their means, but don’t worry. Frank, my agent, is going to monitor every article. If things get out of hand, he’ll put a stop to it.” Tyler takes my coat out of my hands.
I nod, but I’m still concerned with this development. It feels weird to have private information spread all over the internet like this, especially as I don’t want that kind of attention.
But it’s what I’ve signed up for, I remind myself, and I’ll have to learn how to deal with this situation. It’s overwhelming and will take time to get used to.
I know I can’t influence what people write about me, and I’m not going to read comments online again, but my coworkers might. I hope they’ll treat me the same as before, but I can’t be sure. I don’t want any of them to treat me differently now that I’m dating a famous athlete. I’m sure Ryan won’t mind though; after all, this is free advertisement for his training center.
“Earth to Lily.” Danny waves his hand in front of my face.
“Sorry. I got lost there for a moment.”
“You okay?”
Ty lifts my chin.
“Fine. Just tired and a little overwhelmed. It’s a lot to comprehend.” I look at the floorboards. I need some time alone to think about everything, and I’m genuinely exhausted at this point.
“But everything went well at the event?” Danny arches his brow.
“Yes, everything went fine. It was a great evening, and I even had fun. I’m just not used to this kind of attention, and like I said, it was a little intimidating.” I smile and stifle a yawn.
Danny’s brow is still raised, but he doesn’t say anything.
“Come on, then, Lily. Danny cleaned the guest room for you and put on fresh sheets. Let’s have a look and see if you need anything else.” Ty puts his hand on the small of my back, pushing me in the right direction.
“Wow.” I step into what is officially Danny’s room, the one he doesn’t use, taking in the alterations. I had seen it the day we talked about how we would proceed with our fake relationship, but the place I’m shown now has little resemblance to the once sparsely furnished room.
Where previously only stood a bed and a small dresser, there’s now a little couch with several pillows and a blanket thrown on it, a writing desk, and a big wardrobe. The bed is covered with a dark blue counterpane similar to the one I have in my apartment. I’m amazed that Tyler paid attention to those details when he walked me inside last Friday.
“You didn’t have to.” I let my fingers drift over the soft blanket on the bed.
“Hopefully this will keep you warm. You’re going to spend quite some time here, Lily. We want you to feel at home.” Danny leans against the doorframe.
“Thank you. It’s perfect. I love this material. It’s so warm and cozy.” I watch as Danny puts his arm around Tyler. How can I not fall for both of them when they’re so sweet? Will this get easier, seeing them like this all the time, leaning into each other, kissing each other?
“We’ll let you be, then. Good night, Lily,” Tyler says.
The door closes, and I listen to their soft murmurs as they make their way to the master bedroom across the hall, leaving me with an empty feeling in my chest. With a sigh, I sit on the bed, gathering my thoughts. This very well might be the biggest challenge of my life, and it’s just begun. There’s still a long way to go, and I’m not sure if I’m able to go through with it.
On the other hand, it was nice meeting new people, and maybe it’ll help me with my career as well. Wioletta’s mare might just be the start.
I yawn again and reach behind me to open my dress, but I’m not able to grasp the zipper. I wiggle, turning in different directions, but it gets me nowhere. Crap, I should’ve asked for help. I try again, bending in ways every yoga teacher would be proud of, but it’s no use.
There’s no way around it. I have to ask Danny or Tyler for help. I sigh again, then head across the hall and knock on the door. I wait for what feels like an eternity, but no one answers.
They can’t be asleep yet, can they? I knock again, this time more insistent. Listening for any sounds from inside, I hear something that sounds like “Fuck, where are my pants?” before the door is opened a crack and Danny peeks out, his face flushed.
Where is a hole in the ground when I really need it? He’s shirtless and hides his lower half behind the door. Without a doubt, they were getting it on. I feel my cheeks heating up. This can’t be happening.
“I’m so sorry,” I say, quickly turning around to present him with my back, unable to look him in the eyes, “but I need help with the zipper.”
Danny chuckles, and I feel his hands on my back, fumbling with the zipper for a moment. Those strong hands that just moments ago were probably somewhere on Tyler—
Don’t go there, I scold myself. It’s none of your business.
I practically run off as soon as my dress opens on my back. “Thank you.” I don’t look back as I make my way to my room, accompanied by more of Danny’s chuckles.
After firmly closing the door behind me, I lean against it, putting my hands over my face. How am I ever going to face them in the morning? It’s my day off, and we’ve agreed to spend the morning together. I can’t just run away, but perhaps I can come up with an excuse to leave earlier, like an emergency at the stable?
I shake my head and ready myself for bed. While my mind is still overly active, my body is completely exhausted. I regret that I didn’t bring my e-reader as I climb underneath the blanket, trying to find a comfortable position in the unfamiliar bed. A good detective story would’ve helped me relax—it always does—but it won’t help me tonight.
I toss and turn, unable to wind down. Then a loud bang startles me, followed by another. And another. By the third one, I’m sitting upright in my bed. It sounds like something is slamming against the wall. What the hell is going on?
The next bang is followed by a moan, and I freeze.
No way. Can this evening get any weirder? They’re still having sex? Like right now?
I fall back on the bed, covering my face with one hand. From the sounds of it, they’re having a lot of fun and apparently don’t care about how much noise they’re making.
I lie stunned as the pounding becomes even louder, listening to the loud groans. I can’t help but wonder who is penetrating whom right now. Is Tyler inside Danny at the moment? Or is it the other way around?
My body starts to tingle as I imagine their bodies moving against each other, and I throw the blanket away. Funny that Tyler worried about me being cold, because I feel hot and flustered all over now.
I look down my body. My nipples are straining against the tank top, and it has nothing to do with the temperature. There’s no denying it—I’m aroused. More than aroused. Actually, ready to explode would cover it more adequately. Listening to Tyler and Danny having sex might very well be the most erotic experience of my life so far. How pathetic is that?
It’s so wrong, but I reach down and start to rub my clit as the pounding continues. Closing my eyes, I give myself over to the sensation that my fingers evoke. In my mind, I’m the one underneath a strong body being pounded ruthlessly. It’s me who is being kissed passionately, and it’s me moaning in ecstasy.
I reach my peak faster and harder than ever before as two male groans fill the silence, and I’m sure they’ve entered paradise as well, panting heavily with my release.
There’s only one thought on my mind before sleep mercifully takes over—how will I keep my sanity during this adventure?
Chapter Nine
Tyler
I skate next to Smithy during morning skate. Usually I keep to myself during these nonmandatory practice sessions, but he was on me the moment I stepped on the ice.
“Wioletta can’t stop talking about today, I hope Lily can help with her horse.”
“I’m sure she can, but Ryan will be there as well.” I skate to the bench to pick up my stick.
“You found yourself quite a treasure with your Lily.” Smithy retrieves his stick and gets a puck from one of the assistant trainers.
I nod absently. He’s right, of course, not that he’s even remotely aware of how much of a lifesaver Lily has truly been for Danny and me. Additionally, she seems to have improved my standing in the team as well. Since she entered my life nine days ago, I’ve spoken more personal words with my teammates than in the past year.
She and Wioletta had an instant connection, but I also noticed how curious my teammates were to meet her. My girlfriend has caused a commotion. It’s easy to be around her, and guys are drawn to her, even if she doesn’t see it herself. There’s just something about her.
No matter what it is, I’ll be forever grateful to have found her—or that she found us. Either way, one question remains: how am I ever going to thank her? As expected, she doesn’t want money for posing as my girlfriend, but I’ll have to think of something else.
“I’m a lucky man.” And I’m a lucky bastard. If I were into women, Lily would be the one I’d want by my side.
“That you are.” He passes me
the puck as we skate off again. “I was thinking, why don’t you come over to our house for dinner after the horse thing is over?”
My head snaps in his direction. We’ve never met in private before and haven’t been close during team activities either. I always liked Smithy, but it’s not as if we’ve been best friends.
Because you wouldn’t let him, a little voice in my head whispers. But I want to now. Finally I’m in a place where I’m not afraid to bond with my teammates. Lily makes it possible for me to open up.
“That’d be great,” I try to sound casual, “but my roommate is coming too today. He’s a physiotherapist and will be working with Lily in the future.”
“So what’s the problem? Bring him as well. I didn’t even know you had a roommate.”
Of course he didn’t. I made damn sure no one knew about Danny.
“You sure?”
“Yeah, man. Might ask the new guy, Walker, to come over as well. He seems a little lost, and since he’s likely to play on our line, we should get to know him better. Bond a little, you know.”
“Sounds good. I’ll check with Lily and Danny, but we wanted to go out for dinner anyway, so it should be good. Thanks for the invite.” This gives me an excuse to call Lily. I haven’t heard from her since she left our place in a hurry yesterday. We’d planned to have breakfast together, but apparently there was an emergency at the stable and she had to leave. It’s only been a day, but I miss having her around. It’s crazy how quickly I got used to having her in our lives. I can’t even imagine how life was without her anymore.
“No prob,” Smithy interrupts my thoughts. “I’m glad you’ve found yourself a girl. Wioletta doesn’t like me doing stuff with the single guys, but since you’re not one of them anymore and she likes Lily, we could do some stuff together, or let the girls do their thing and do some stuff ourselves.” Wow, Wioletta has him under her thumb, but I’m not complaining. We can bond now.
“Yeah. Let’s do that.” I’m still stunned. I’ve talked more to him this morning than in the two years I’ve been part of this organization. It’s a good thing we’ve only been playing on the same line since the season started. It gives me the chance to start anew with him. I don’t think he would have liked the old, closed-up me. No one did. Not even me.
Defying Gravity: An Ice Tigers Hockey Novel Page 6
